BRIDGEWATER, NJ — George Lombard Jr. got a real taste of MLB pitching this past week with Double-A Somerset as the Yankees top prospect was handed the task of going up against Zack Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies who was rehabbing with Double-A Reading.
Wheeler, a three-time MLB All-Star, had high praise for the Cuban-American infielder Lombard Jr. after a home run and a double against him in separate outings last Tuesday and this past Sunday.
The 20-year-old, crushing a sinker over the centerfield wall on a sinker in the first inning yesterday, marked his third HR this season.
“He just puts good bats together and he makes contact and when he does, he hits the ball hard,” said Wheeler. “Both home runs were supposed to be sinkers away to Lombard and into the other guy (Tyler Hardman), and I just left it in the middle. And that’s what you’re supposed to do with pitches, mistakes down the middle. So, you know, more power to him.”
Wheeler, pitching four innings with four runs allowed and four strikeouts Sunday in Somerset, got up to 76 pitches, with 48 coming for strikes. His next start is expected to be back in MLB with the Phillies sometime this week.
For the right-handed hitter Lombard Jr., besides his three home runs, he has taken the next step offensively with nine RBI, three stolen bases, a .365 batting average, and an OPS of 1.087 in 52 at-bats this year.
Week by week he’s caught the eye of several Major Leagues, impressing them with how he goes about his work.
“I mean, he (Lombard Jr.) plays like a top prospect,” noted Wheeler. “You have your top guys, and he’s one of those guys. When you face teams or players even in spring training, you can just tell that kind of tier from other guys and just from the swing and how they carry themselves and stuff like that.”
“He’s been around the game for a while, with his dad and everything, and he knows how to carry himself and looks like a pretty solid player.”
Lombard Jr. comes from a rich baseball family, with his father, George Lombard Sr., being a former MLB infielder and current coach with the Detroit Tigers. George’s younger brother, Jacob Lombard, could be a Top-10 draft pick in the 2026 MLB Draft coming up later this year.
As it goes for individual rankings, Lombard Jr. is listed 27th on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospect Rankings. His fast start in Double-A is making an MLB debut possible with a fast promotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, becoming a stronger possibility by the week.
George Lombard Jr., working his way towards MLB, and Anthony Volpe, progressing through his rehab, sharing the field at Double-A with the Somerset Patriots – Image Credit: Maz Adams/Latino Sports
Speaking of the Major Leagues, Wheeler talked about his excitement level for his return and some difficulties.
“Being consistent is probably the biggest thing,” the 35-year-old right-hander said, working his way back from venous thoracic outlet decompression surgery to remove a blood clot in his rib.
“I know I may have some ups and downs this year, I had a major surgery so I’m kind of real with it and hoping for the best, but you never know.”
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